Cornstalk-cutter



(No Model.)

G. J. CONTANOIN, J. M. SCOTT 81; J. STUMPPF.

. CORNSTALK GUTTER. No. 281,025. Patented July l0, 1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT G'USTAVUS' J. CONTANCIN, JAMES M. SCOTT, AND .ICHNSTUMPFF, 0F BLUE MOUND, ILLINOIS.

ooaNsTALK-cuT'rER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 281,025, dated July 10,1888. l I Application filed January 3D, 1883. (No model.) .Y

.in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts inall the figures.

Figure lis a plan view of our improvement. Fig. 2 is a sectional sideelevation of the same, taken through the line a: w, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is asection of a knife and slotted finger, illustrating the operation ofcutting a stalk.

The object of this invention is to cut cornstalks, while standing in thefield, into such lengths that they will not interfere with thesubsequent cultivation of the land.

The invention consists in a stalk-cutter constructed with a carriage, aset oi' curved and slotted fingers to support the stalks while beingcut, a set of vibrating knives for cutting the stalks, and a crank-shaftand gearing for operatingtheknives. Theknivespass through slottedguide-bars attached to the frame and provided with rollers 'above andbelow the said knives to guide and control the movements of the knives.The driving-gearingp-is thrown out of and into gear by means of a lever,connecting-rod, crank-arm, and hand-- lever connected with the knifeoperating crank-shaft. The curved fingers are attached to a rock-shaftwhich is provided with a lever for operating it and a ratchet-wheel andtwo pawls for holding it in position. The forward ends of the curved andslotted fingers are connected by a rod to distribute the strain upon thesaid fingers. The stalks are bent down upon the curved iingers byrollers pivoted to vertically-sliding bars, and held down by'spiralsprings, so that the said rollers can rise should they come in contactwith the ground. The tongue is strengthened against side strain, andside draft in the machine is prevented by inclined braces attached tothe tongue and the frame of the machine, as will be hereinafter fullydescribed.

A are the wheels, the axle B of which revolves in bearings attached tothe side bars oi' the frame G.

To the side bars of the frame G are pivoted the ends of a cross-bar, D,to the lower side of which are attached the upper ends or" a number oflingers, E. The fingers E are designed to be about ten inches apart, andare slotted from their upper ends nearly to their lower ends. Theiingers E are curved forward,and their lower ends are connected by arod, E', to distribute the strain when t-he stalks are being cut.

To the bar D is attached a lever, F, for convenience in turning the saidbar to raisethe forward ends of the iingers E awa-5T from the ground,and to adjust them to work atany de sired closeness to the ground. Theiingers E are held in any position into which they may be' adjusted bythe two pawls G, attached to the frame G at the forward and rear sidesof the bar l), and which engage with the teeth of the ratchet-,wheelI-I, attached to the said bar D.

The stalks are cut by the knives I, which pass through the slots ofthefingers E, and

have their forward ends curved downward and their edges notched orserrated, so that the said knives will readilyT cut the stalks againstthe iingers E as the said knives are drawn to the rearward. The knives Ipass through the slotted guide-bars J, the upper ends of which areattached to a crossbar of the frame C.

Within the slot oi' each guide-bar J are pivoted two rollers, K, oneabove and the other below the knife I, the lower roller serving as afulcrum to the knife and the upper roller holding the knife down to itswork while cutting the stalks. The rear ends ofthe knives I are hingedto cranks L, formed upon the shaft M, and which project in diiierentdirections, so that'the said knives will make their cuts separately, andthus distribute the strain. The crank-shaft M revolves in slottedbearings in the sidev bars of the frame C, and to its ends are attachedgear-wheels N, the teeth of which mesh into the teeth of largergearwheels O, attached to the axle B, so that the knives I will bcoperated by the advance of the machine. f

To the side bars of the frame C are pivoted IOO levers P, the lower endsof which are perforated to receive the crank-shaft M, and to their upperends are pivoted the rear ends of connecting-rods Q. The forward ends ofthe connecting-rods Q are pivoted to crank-arms R, formed upon orattached to the rod S, which rocks in bearings attached to the frame O.

To the rod S is attached, or upon it is formed, a lever, T, so that thegear-wheels N can be thrown into and out of gear with the gearwheels Oby operating the lever T. The gearwheels N are held in gear with thegear-wheels O by apawl, U, attached to a cross-bar of the frameC, andwhich engages with a notch in the crank-arm R, as shown in Figs. l and2.

V are two rollers, the ends of which'are pivoted to the lower ends oftwo bars or frames, WV. The upper ends of the forward bars, WV, or longtenons formed upon the said ends, pass up through holes in the forwardparts of the side bars of the frame C, and the upper ends ofthe rearbars,VV, pass up through holes in a cross-bar of the said frame C. Bythis construction the inclined rollers V, as the machine is drawnforward, bend down the stalks into such a position that they will be eutbetween the slotted fingers E and the knives I. The bars -W are helddown by spiral springs X, placed upon the upper parts of the said barsand' interposed between the frameA C and shoulders or other stops formedupon or attached to the said bars W, so that the rollers V, should theystrike an obstruction, can rise and pass over it.

Y is the drivers seat, which is attached to the upper end of thestandard Z. The lower end of the standard Z is attached to a crossbar ofthe frame C in such a position that the driver, from his seat Y, canreadily reach an( operate the levers F T.

a is the tongue to which the draft is applied, and which is attached tothe forward crossbars of the frame O, near one side of the said frame.The tongue a is strengthened against side draft, and the machine is madeto move forward squarely by the inclined braces I), the forward ends ofwhich are attached to the said tongue a, and their rear ends areattached to the side bars of the frame C.

The machine can be arranged to cut one or two rows of stalks at a time,as may be desired. i

With this construction, as the machine is -tact with and cut the stalksupon the said fingers E, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

Having thus fully described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patentl. In a cornstalk-eutter, the combination,

'with the knives I, adapted to have a forward and rearward oscillatorymovement, of the forwardcurved slotted fingers E and guideJ, having theupper and lower rolls, K K, arranged to support the knives in ahorizontal position during rearward movement and to limit their downwardforward movement, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a cornstalk-cutter, the combination, with the forward-curvedslotted fingers E, with the forward ends adapted to rest on the ground,of the oscillatory knives I, with downwardcurved forward ends adapted tomove in the slots of said fingers, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

3. In a cornstalk-cutter, the obliquely-arranged rollers V, supported inthe lower ends of the sliding or yielding frames W, the upper ends ofwhich are connected to the side bars and a cross-bar of the frame.

4. In a stalk-cutter, the combination, with the finger-carryingrock-shaft D and the frame C, of the ratchet-wheel H, the two pawls G,and the lever F, substantially as herein shown and described, wherebythe fingers can be readily adjusted and will be held securely, as setforth.

G-USTAVUS JOHN CONTANOIN. JAMES MADISON SCOTT. JOHN STUMPFF.

Witnesses:

PHILIP CHAPPELL, JOHN W. K. MOCLURE.

